THE ancient tradition of well-dressing will be introduced to a village in Cornwall this month and local people are being encouraged to get involved.

The organisers of the event in Tywardreath, near Par, have been inspired by well-dressing activities that take place in villages in Derbyshire and Staffordshire during the spring or summer.

People in these villages gather together to create intricate pictures formed from plants and flowers to decorate a spring or well.

The organisers say the exact origins of well-dressing have been lost over time. What started out as being a simple offering of flowers grew more elaborate when the custom was revived by the Victorians and well-dressings were created depicting stories from the Bible.

In modern times, the subject matter has diversified and the dressings now feature a wide variety of different subjects.

In Search Of Tywardreath (ISOT), a group interested in the past, is bringing a Cornish version of the tradition to two wells in Tywardreath.

The event will take place on Saturday, May 30, starting at 2pm at the well in Well Street and then moving on to the Blessed Mary Well at Newhouse Farm.

The group is constructing 16 panels for pictures that will be placed together to form a large installation at the well in Well Street. Further panels will be created to form the display at the Blessed Mary Well.

Various local organisations, groups, shops, schools, individuals and others will each decorate a panel for the installations.

The panels are likely to include beach material as well as plants and petals.

On the day, local vicar Shona Hoad will bless the wells. There will be a procession through the village to Newhouse Farm where Morris dancing and traditional Cornish dancing will take place and Cornish music will be played by local groups.